Beating the Global Odds: Successful Decision-making in a Confused and Troubled World

Contending with the 24/7 news cycle and an endless barrage of
choices and information has stymied leadership and decision-making
strategies among those at the top. But we all know, this is not a
just a problem for the elite. The broad-based reaction to this
chaotic, unmanageable assault has been to retrench, and to focus on
immediate, controllable decisions. In the process, we lose
sight of the horizon. More dangerous still, is the shift
we’ve seen from value creation to wealth
creation, where information technology 1.0 has enabled a
transaction-based society in which the “deal” is more
important than the value it drives or the relationships it is based
on. On our current path, the odds of a better future
are slim.

What we need is a new value proposition.

Beating the Global Odds is the answer to the dangers of
too much of a good thing. There’s no going back, but
there is the opportunity to set things right. In this book, Paul A.
Laudicina, Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board of global
consulting firm A.T. Kearney, provides a fast-paced and engaging
tour of how we got to this point and what we can do about it.

Drawing on examples from everything from world history and
current media to anecdotes from his vast network of CEOs and the
world’s most innovative thinkers, Laudicina helps bring our
world of seemingly fuzzy and disconnected pixels into sharp
focus.

The result is a compelling case for change and call to
action—not only for global leaders but also for everyone who
struggles with the question of how we can inspire and seize a
better future… how we can beat the global odds.

Paul A. Laudicina is the CEO, chairman of the board, and
managing partner at global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney,
and the founder and chairman of the firm's Global Business Policy
Council. With over forty years of professional experience in
government, research, business, and at the United Nations, he has
worked with leaders from all backgrounds across a broad range of
strategic, corporate, and public policy issues. The author of
World Out of Balance, one of the top business books of 2005,
Laudicina was named to Consulting magazine's annual ranking
of the "Top 25 Most Influential Consultants" in 2005 and 2007.

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Our society at all levels—business, government and individuals—is bombarded by a constant stream of communication choices and data.The 24/7 news cycle, which now includes powerful social media platforms, is relentless. While more information and the ease of obtaining it have been positioned as positive developments, Paul Laudicina, Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board of global consulting firm A.T. Kearney, argues in BEATING THE GLOBAL ODDS: Successful Decision-Making in a Confused and Troubled World (Wiley; October 9, 2012; Hardcover; $34.95)that the opposite is often true. Instead, what results are leaders, employees, and citizens who are stymied, overwhelmed and paralyzed. Only by taking concerted steps to focus beyond immediate and controllable decisions—and instead look to the horizon—can we shape our society for the better.

In BEATING THE GLOBAL ODDS, Laudicina takes the reader on a grand tour of how we got to this point and what we can do about it. Drawing on examples from world history, current media, and the world’s most innovative thinkers, he shows how we can all function better and smarter, no matter what our calling. Part of the solution, he writes, is to lighten our loads and focus on “simplicity, sustainability, and self-fulfillment”; rebuild our relationships and the frayed bonds of trust across all segments of society; and reject information overload and learn to become “discerning omnivores.” But Laudicina also argues that in order for us to put these ideas into motion, we need a new brand of leadership in politics as well. We need leaders, he writes, grounded in values, who dare to reach beyond the constraints of ideology to seize opportunity, manage risk, and employ innovative thinking.

As part of an interview, Laudicina can discuss:

Why“doing good” ends up being the best bet a company or government can make, and how we can change our values system to make good more attractive than profits.

How an angry electorate and capitalism gone astray go hand in hand in the U.S. and around the world

How to heal the rift between business and consumers by rebuilding trust and personal relationships

Why the simplicity revolution among consumers is good for business, and how companies can follow suit in their offerings

How to become a “discerning omnivore” by seeking out new experiences, people, media, and experts to learn from, but without being overwhelmed

Laudicina has a singular perspective on the leadership challenges facing America today. Before becoming a name in business, he studied for the clergy and then worked for several years on Capitol Hill, including a period as then-Senator Joe Biden’s chief of staff. Given his wide range of life experiences, Laudicina is uniquely qualified to offer both the 50,000-foot overview of how recent shifts in our society have brought us to where we are today, as well as the on-the-ground changes we must implement to fix what is broken.

Reversing course from our post-Great Recession atomized society to rising-tide prosperity is within our grasp, Laudicina writes. BEATING THE GLOBAL ODDS is an unprecedented call to action—not only for global leaders, but for everyone who struggles with the question of how we can create a better future. I urge you to schedule coverage for October, and I will call soon to follow up with you.

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